Yes it is lichens, which is an air breathing plant that is only on the tree for support. But it sets up the correct environment for algae to grow under it, which will hurt the bark and Kill the tree after many years. It should be treated with Copper Sulfate.

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it is one thing to do a off label applications. It is total stupidity to post it on the world wide web and expect people to approve.

You can lead a Donkey to water but you can't make the Jackass Drink

My People Skills are Fine. It is my Idiot Tolerance Skills That needs Work.

You may consider drip irr. if it has sprays or rotors. You also have two crosser branches I see that may need to come out. More light and air and no overhead water may help it in the future. like Ric said about the algae...them two have a simbiosis style love connection. You may just be able to wait til its dry and rub it off with steel wool or metal brush on a handle or drill. normally it grows rather slow.

You may consider drip irr. if it has sprays or rotors. You also have two crosser branches I see that may need to come out. More light and air and no overhead water may help it in the future. like Ric said about the algae...them two have a simbiosis style love connection. You may just be able to wait til its dry and rub it off with steel wool or metal brush on a handle or drill. normally it grows rather slow.

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Gunsnroses

Why not just Cut it off with a chain saw????? You couldn't do too much more damage with a Chain Saw than a power wire wheel or steel wool.

Lichen is a Epiphyte or air breathing plant which Algae, Spanish Moss and Bromeliads and even Orchids are also part of. However Lichen and algae are single cell organisms that live in groups if the environment is right. Any time you see Algae growing on a plant, it should be chemically treated right away with Cooper Sulfate. It should be retreated until in turns a darker color to show control. It is best not to try and Mechanically remove it because it attaches itself to bark and removing it is removing the Bark.

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it is one thing to do a off label applications. It is total stupidity to post it on the world wide web and expect people to approve.

You can lead a Donkey to water but you can't make the Jackass Drink

My People Skills are Fine. It is my Idiot Tolerance Skills That needs Work.

At first I thought that maybe lichens were possibly harmful in the south. Here in the northeast they are not. But after reading the websites posted, I am confused about the need to control lichens.

These quotes are from those websites: NOT HARMFUL Since lichens are almost always found on weak plants, do lichens cause the plants to become sick? In fact, lichens are totally harmless and in no way responsible for the poor state of any tree or shrub. They are simply indicators of the infirm health of the plant. As a woody plant loses vigor, the number and size of its leaves gradually decrease. This allows more sunlight on the trunk and lower branches. As soon as enough light is available on the bark, lichens begin to colonize it.

If lichens are unsightly to you, the best way to reduce their numbers is to increase the health of the plant.Control in the home landscape is usually not
necessary. If lichens become too unsightly or abundant, they can usually be brushed off stems or tree trunks with a stiff brush when the lichens are dry